Earthing (grounding) modules of this type are used in conjunction with line terminals according to DE 43 33 263 C2 for the connection of conductors for voltages up to 1000 V.
In DE 43 33 263 C2 there is described a line terminal wherein insulation displacement contacts are disposed separately from each other in a plastic housing. Each insulation displacement contact element is connected to a central tapping portion and can be connected thereby to functional plugs. The incoming and outgoing conductors connected to the insulation displacement contact elements of the line terminal are initially not electrically connected to each other. The connection is achieved by connection plugs via the central tapping portions, e.g. by earthing plugs.
Moreover, a termination device is known in the art (DE application 195 37 528), by means of which various termination jobs can be done by a modular design. A base element with receiving portions for the incoming and outgoing cables is latched onto a carrier rail. Between the receiving portions for the termination elements can be inserted functional components, such as an overvoltage/overcurrent protection device.
The prior art line terminal and the prior art termination device are suitable for the termination of wires having diameters from 1 mm.sup.2 up to 2.5 mm.sup.2 to the insulation displacement contact elements and cannot be used for larger wire diameters above 2.5 mm.sup.2, since for wire diameters exceeding 2.5 mm.sup.2 higher contacting forces are required that can only be handled by the known screw terminal terminations, up to 4 mm.sup.2.
In EP 0 556 560 B1 is described a protective conductor terminal to be latched onto a carrier rail and including terminals for the termination of conductors being in connection to an electrically conductive plate that in turn can be connected to the carrier rail.
The employed termination technique is particularly disadvantageous in not permitting the insulation displacement technique in the termination area and requiring stripping of the conductors to be terminated. Also disadvantageous is that attachment and removal of the terminated conductors is only possible with a tool.